


I Walk The Line

by BoysGoToJupiter



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoysGoToJupiter/pseuds/BoysGoToJupiter
Summary: As Garen gets ready to graduate from community college and move on to a university, he finds an unlikely relationship in someone he thought he hated. Unbeknownst to him, much more is going on behind the curtains that will affect this new-found love.This is a "creative reimagining" of my original Garen/Darius work "Because You're Mine".
Relationships: Garen Crownguard/Darius
Comments: 11
Kudos: 28





	I Walk The Line

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO ENEMIES! it's been a LONG time since I've written in the league fandom but i return to dip my toes back in! first order of business is that, let it be known, this is what i call a "creative reimagining" of my original garen/darius work "Because You're Mine". I will link it below! secondly, while i will be using a lot of the same characters and major plot points, this is a TOTAL overhaul of that work! you will most likely see similarities between the two, but i will be entirely rewriting each chapter (and adding new chapters once i catch up). i wanted to do this because something of a ~creative reimagining~ sounds appealing to me, as a writer. but also because it's been almost FIVE years since i started that fic originally..... wowie! but going back and reading those chapters...... let's just say the writing isn't..... great. and as a writer, i am constantly improving my craft so i wanted to do this ship justice by updating their story with my new knowledge. 
> 
> that being said........ i am SO excited to be back writing this pairing! it is still my fave within league :) i hope you guys enjoy! I'll see you when you're done <3
> 
> link to the original fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6412210/chapters/14679295

"Hey, Garen, you paying attention?" Jarvan whispered to him, waving his hand in front of him. 

"Sorry, what?" Garen asked, blinking a couple of times and collecting his bearings. 

"Stop zoning out! The professor already doesn't like you!" Jarvan hissed, making sure to keep his voice low. 

"This class is just so boring," Garen sighed, adjusting himself and propping himself up on one arm. 

"Need I remind you that you picked philosophy for us to take?" Jarvan said, shaking his head. 

"In theory, I like philosophy. But in practice... I'm bored out of my mind," Garen groaned a little too loudly. 

"Oh, Mr. Crownguard," the professor cleared his throat, "did you have something to add?" 

"Uh... no," Garen sat up straight, his face heating a little as everyone turned to look at him. 

"Then, could you kindly be quiet so I can teach my class, hm?" The professor asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Garen scratched the back of his head a little and looked down at the books in front of him. 

"Ouch, rough," Jarvan whispered beside him. 

Garen shot Jarvan a loot but turned his attention back to the book in front of him. He wasn't going to risk talking again because he didn't want the professor to call him out again. Garen already got the feeling that the professor didn't like him, but this kind of solidified this thought. And he couldn't blame the guy, either, because Garen never paid too much attention during his lecture. So, he decided for the rest of the class he would just lay low. 

After what felt like forever, the clock struck three, and they were released. 

"Oh, thank god," Garen grumbled, stuffing his books into his bag and slinging it over one of his shoulders. 

"It wasn't THAT bad, come on," Jarvan chuckled, walking in front of Garen as they exited the classroom. 

"I swear to god if I have to hear one more thing about Plato," Garen continued grumbling. 

"I thought you were supposed to be smart? Maybe you just don't understand his intricacies," Jarvan challenged, though his tone revealed his joking nature. 

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Garen waved him off, "clearly that's what it is. His genius is just too perplexing for me!" 

"Yeah, I figured as much," Jarvan nodded, looking back at Garen over his shoulder. 

Jarvan stopped suddenly, causing Garen to bump into him and drop his backpack. "Dammit, Jarvan, what was that?" 

"Ugh, it's Darius and his scoundrels," Jarvan groaned, gesturing to them with his head. 

"Are they bullying someone again?" Garen asked, putting his bag on his shoulder again and stepping in front of Jarvan to get a better look. 

"Some girl, I think," Jarvan replied, poking his head over Garen's shoulder. 

Garen sighed loudly, marching over to confront Darius and his goons. "Dammit, Darius, can you knock it off?"

"What are you gonna do about it, punk?" Darius asked lazily, not paying Garen much attention. 

"We're in college! Stop acting like a high schooler!" Garen told the man, his face stern. 

"Community college is not college," Darius laughed at him. 

"Yes, it is," Garen sighed loudly, "so stop acting so immature."

"Make me," Darius finally turned his full attention to Garen, glaring at him. 

Garen crossed his arms and glared back at Darius. It was like high school all over again, and Garen was not about to be intimidated like everyone else was. Even back in high school, Garen was the only person who would stand up to Darius since everyone else was too afraid to do so. Sure, Darius was a big guy, and back in high school, he was captain of the basketball and wrestling team, but that didn't change the fact that he was a bully. And Garen was not someone that would stand idly by and let someone get harassed. 

"Yeah, that's what I thought, pretty boy," Darius chuckled, shaking his head. "You're not gonna do shit." 

"P-Pretty boy?!" Garen nearly choked, put off by the comment. 

"Come on, let's leave the losers alone," Darius scoffed, intentionally bumping shoulders with Garen as he pushed past. 

"You're such a dick," Garen said as they walked down the hall. 

"Yeah, you wish," Darius retorted, not even turning his head around. 

"What does that mean!" Garen shouted after them, a fury bubbling up inside of him. 

"You tried," Jarvan patted Garen's shoulder. "I really gotta run, though. I'll catch you later."

"Bye, Jarvan," Garen exhaled loudly, simmering down before turning to the girl. "Are you alright?" 

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied with a slight smile, "they weren't doing anything particularly mean. Just making fun of my glasses." 

"Oh," Garen frowned, crouching down to pick up her bag, "well, I'm sorry anyway. They can be real jerks." 

"Yeah, some people have real problems," she agreed, dusting off her skirt a little.

"For what it's worth, I like your glasses," Garen said a little awkwardly as he handed her the bag. 

"Thanks," she chuckled a little, "and thanks again for helping me out." 

"You're welcome," he smiled at her, giving a little wave as she walked down the hall in the opposite direction of Darius. 

Garen turned his gaze back to the hall Darius and his friends went down. He really tried wrapping his head around what Darius was talking about, but he figured it was best to not think too hard about it. Darius just wanted to get under Garen's skin, and if he got caught up on the things the man said, then it was like he already lost. He could not let Darius have that power over him. 

"I think you forgot this, Mr. Crowngaurd," a voice startled him out of his thoughts.

Garen turned to see his professor standing beside him, holding a blue fabric scarf. "Oh! Sorry, I must've left it on the chair," Garen said sheepishly, taking the long fabric. 

"I have to admit, Mr. Crownguard," the professor began, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "I'm a little disappointed in your performance in my class. I was excited to hear that I had you in my class since my colleagues speak so highly of you, the baseball team's star, but I admit that I am not so thrilled anymore. That is you... right? I don't keep up with sports much."

"Yes, that's me..." Garen groaned a little. This was NOT the conversation he wanted to have right now. "And, I'm sorry."

"I know you're a brilliant student," his professor continued, "so why is it that you don't put the effort forth?" 

"I just... do not like Plato," Garen admitted, laughing lightly at how ridiculous it sounded when he said it aloud. "I feel like he's wrong about just about everything! Why is he talked so highly of in philosophy?" 

"He WAS wrong about just about everything," the professor laughed, "but he was wrong in a very enlightening way, which makes him of continuing importance."

"Oh," Garen frowned, looking down. Garen's phone started ringing in his pocket. "So, we're not supposed to like him?" 

"Perhaps like the fact that he contributed to us getting somewhere with philosophy," his professor answered, "but like him? Not really, no. Maybe start paying more attention in class, and you would realize that." 

"Yeah, I supposed you're right," Garen's frown deepened, "sorry again." 

"I get it, philosophy isn't the most entertaining subject to learn," his professor smiled as he started walking down the hall. "But don't shut down to something just because it doesn't immediately make sense. Maybe give it another chance. Also, your phone is ringing." 

"Thanks," Garen said, annoyance spreading across his face at the last comment. 

"Anytime," his professor laughed as he walked away. 

Garen sighed loudly before answering the phone. "Hello?" 

"Shit, Garen, we have practice right now!" Jarvan shouted into the phone, Garen moving it away from his ear a little. 

"Wait, what?" Garen asked once he finally processed what his friend said. 

"I forgot about practice! We were supposed to go right after our class ended!" Jarvan elaborated, though he was still shouting. 

"Oh, dammit," Garen cursed, his eyes widening, "Coach is gonna be pissed."

"Oh, absolutely he is," Jarvan sounded worried, "get your ass to the field immediately!"

Garen stuffed his phone in his pocket and ran down the hall. Coach was going to be furious with him if he was late to practice again. He had a bad habit of staying too long at the library to try and help other students with their work. Particularly math. Garen had always excelled at math. Jarvan always asked him why he didn't just become a tutor, but honestly, he didn't know if he had the time. And clearly not because of how often it made him late. 

Garen pushed open the door leading outside, the cool spring air biting at his ears. Winter finally ended, but spring still brought them chilly days. A chill ran down his spine as another notably cold gust pushed past. He took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck before heading towards the field. He really didn't want to run there, but he hadn't much choice. So he ran, the brilliant blue blowing in the wind behind him. 

Garen arrived at the field exhausted and still ten minutes late. His teammates had already begun their daily drills. Garen tried to walk around to the locker room without being seen, hoping he could sneak by and slip in. 

"CROWNGAURD!" Coach bellowed from across the field, causing Garen to nearly jump out of his skin. He looked furious as he signaled Garen to come over to him. 

His teammates stopped their drills and gave Garen concerned looks as he headed over to them. 

"Did I tell any of you to stop?" Coach asked, the whole team immediately starting again. 

"Uh..." Garen began, trying to quickly think of some excuse as he got closer. 

"What do you think you're doing, Crownguard?" Coach questioned him angrily as he approached. 

"Umm... going to get changed...?" Garen replied, arching one of his eyebrows as he said it. He realized a little too late that it sounded more like him being a smart-ass than anything.

"Oh, funny," Coach fake chuckled as he tapped his foot on the grass below them. "Why are you late again?" 

"I... had to talk to my professor," Garen answered somewhat honestly, his gaze shifting to the grass where Coach's foot still tapped away. 

"Yes, I understand your schooling is very important," Coach began like he rehearsed it, "but you need to be here practicing. This is where you're going to make it to the big league colleges for free." 

"Well..." Garen started, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't really want to argue. "I'm sorry." 

"Just go get into your uniform and get back out here. You're doing stairs the entirety of practice," Coach waved him off, dismissing him. 

"B-But... I want to go over plays and work on my hitting!" Garen exclaimed, his jaw dropping a little. 

"You should have thought of that before you decided to be late," Coach shrugged, turning his back on Garen and watching over the rest of the team. 

Garen sighed loudly as he turned on his heel and headed toward the locker room, his head hung in shame. He absolutely hated running stairs. Although he was in top physical shape, stairs were his weakness. Something about running up and down a staircase was not only unappealing but also unusually exhausting. Garen also excelled more in strength than cardio, so he supposed that had something to do with it. He knew it would be good for him, but he hated it.

Garen opened the locker room door, the stairs leading down some. The locker room itself was underneath the large concrete bleachers that overlooked the field. He quickly descended them and opened his locker, removing his scarf and other typical clothing before taking a brief moment to exhale. He was very stressed, and he didn't really even know about what. School, practice, the girl Darius was harassing, Darius himself, maybe. The moment passed, and he pulled his uniform on as quickly as he could, shutting his locker and running back up the stairs and onto the field. 

The coach's watchful eye caught Garen as he rounded the corner, sternly pointing to the stairs around the stadium seats. Garen sighed loudly, walking up the ramp to the stairs and began his ascent. When he reached the top, he started his descent. That was it, that was stairs. Up and down, over and over again.

After what felt like an eternity, Garen stopped at the top of the stairs, drenched in sweat. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, looking over to his teammates who were practicing their hitting, throwing, and catching. Garen groaned, knowing he needed a little brush up on his hitting but couldn't. His eyes wandered a bit until he spotted a group of people walking near the field. Garen squinted a little before realizing it was Darius and some of his basketball buddies. Darius was staring right at him. His heart blazed a little as he saw the man's stupid smirk on plastered to his face. 

"CROWNGUARD!" His coach bellowed, making him jump and turn his attention from Darius. "I don't remember telling you to stop!" 

Garen grumbled under his breath, wiping a little more sweat from his forehead before starting down the stairs once again. Every so often, Garen would glance at Darius, and the man was staring at him the entire time they walked past the baseball field. What's more, he was certain Darius heard Coach yelling at him; there was no way he couldn't have. Which meant Darius knew he was in trouble, how embarrassing. If he hadn't been so exhausted from running the stairs, he would've grit his teeth the rest of the time. 

Finally, the practice had ended. Garen stood at the bottom of the stairs covered from head to toe in sweat. He was hunched over with his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. Two hours of stairs were probably some form of cruel and unusual punishment. It had to be. Some of his teammates gave him a pat on the back as they walked by, but Garen's main focus was on trying not to vomit in front of everyone. 

"Nice job, Crownguard," Coach gave him a pat on the back, "maybe next time you'll decide to join us on the field." 

Garen grunted in annoyance, still too tired to move from his hunched-over position or even formulate words. Jarvan walked up to Garen, removing his hat and pulling his hair from the bun it was tied in. 

"Come on, bud," Jarvan said, pulling one of Garen's arms around his shoulder, and half-walking, half-carrying, helped Garen to the locker room. 

"Sorry," Jarvan told him sheepishly as he sat him on one of the benches in the locker room. "I forgot about practice."

"It's fine," Garen choked out, finally getting enough breath to talk, "I forgot too." 

Xin walked up and handed Garen a water bottle. "Here, you need to hydrate." 

"Thanks, Xin," Garen smiled at him, taking the bottle and chugging the entire thing. 

Garen pulled off his jersey and undershirt, tossing them both on the ground in front of him. 

"Damn, dude, have you been working out more?" Jarvan asked, his eyes widening a little. "Your abs look amazing." 

"Aww, stop it," Garen chuckled, his face turning a little red, "but yeah, I've been working out here and there. Whenever I have the time, really." 

"You'll definitely have to show me what you do some time! But right now, I need to shower and go. I'm supposed to meet Shyvana for dinner," Jarvan said as he stood up, patting him on the back. "Don't be late next time, eh?" 

"Yeah, yeah, mister funny guy," Garen chuckled lightly, a yawn taking hold of him. 

Garen was so tired he laid down on the bench, stretching slightly as he did. He moved one arm over his eyes as he shut them, the other dangling beside him. He was still so annoyed that, of all times for Darius to walk by the field, it was when he was in trouble. Garen was certain Darius came by just to piss him off for intervening with the girl earlier. And much to his own annoyance, it had worked. The bench beneath him was so uncomfortable, but unsurprisingly he was so tired it felt like his soft bed. Before Garen could move to stop the release of melatonin, sleep had gripped him and pulled him under.

"Hey, Garen," a gentle voice spoke, waking him. 

"What happened!" Garen jolted awake, blinking rapidly. He quickly rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the grogginess. "Xin?" 

"You fell asleep. Everybody already left," Xin told him, sitting down as Garen moved and placed his feet on the ground. 

Garen stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "So why are you still here?" 

"I don't know, just in case," Xin shrugged, "I didn't want to leave you alone while you were asleep. You're vulnerable like that."

"Thanks, Xin, that's really sweet of you," Garen smiled at him, sleep's cloud finally leaving him. "How long was I out?" 

"I dunno... about an hour, I think," Xin replied, scratching his chin. 

"An hour!?" Garen exclaimed, jumping up. "I'm so sorry, Xin."

"It's alright," Xin laughed, "you looked so exhausted that I thought I'd let you rest." 

"Yeah, I was and still am super tired, but I didn't want to take up an hour of your time," Garen apologized sheepishly. "Thank you, though, really."

"Anytime, Garen," Xin waved him off as he pulled his hair into a long ponytail, "and besides, it gave me time to dry my hair. So it worked out for both of us." 

"Well, I'm glad it worked out that way," Garen said, standing up and stretching again. "Maybe I should grow my hair out."

"I think you should stick to short hair," Xin told him honestly as he pulled his back over his shoulder. 

"Damn, Xin, coldhearted!" Garen laughed, grabbing a dry towel and heading for the shower. 

"No shade!" Xin's eyes went wide. "It's just I think short hair suits you."

"I know, I know," Garen smiled, "well, I need to shower. Thanks again." 

"Of course," Xin nodded, heading for the stairs, "have a nice night."

"You too!" He called back, slinging the tower over his shoulder.

Garen stopped to look around the locker room on his way to the shower. He wasn't sure if he had ever been in there alone. Not that it mattered, it was just a little surreal. Garen flipped the shower lights on and turned one of the knobs, the water spurting from the showerhead. He was already shirtless, so he just removed his pants and boxers and sort of kicked them to the side.

Garen put his hand under the water, shivering as the icy liquid ran over his skin. Perfect. Just the way he liked it. He thoroughly enjoyed cold showers, they invigorated the muscles. He stepped beneath the showerhead, letting the freezing water run down his chest as he got some shampoo and rubbed it into his hair. Garen stepped out from under the water briefly and got some liquid soap, science's best creation. Lathering himself up, he jumped back under the showerhead. Garen let the water's cold touch run down his body. From his lips, past his heart, to his hips, like a work of art.

After an abnormally long shower, Garen finally shut the water off and grabbed his towel. He started with drying his hair before moving it down to his chest. The hour-long nap on the wooden bench didn't do much to make his less tired because Garen could not stop yawning as he dried his back and legs. His stomach let out a loud grumble as he finished drying himself. He was starving.

When Garen was finally dry enough, he wrapped the towel around his waist. He headed out toward his locker, grabbing his pants and boxers as he passed them. A chill ran down his spine as the cool air danced along his skin, making him shiver. They had a week of warmer weather, but the temperature dropped again. March's temperature always fluctuated, but it seemed to be jumping up and falling down more than usual. 

He opened his locker and pulled a fresh pair of underwear out of his bag, stepping into it and pulling it up. Dropping the towel on the ground now, he grabbed his jeans and tugged them up, zipping the zipper and buttoning them closed. Garen pulled his light blue long-sleeved shirt from his bag, yanking it over his head.

Garen stopped as the shirt was pulled halfway down but stopped. He tilted his head and listened as he thought he heard footsteps on the stone stairs. Garen turned around to see someone walking down the stairs, and froze when Darius' face appeared. Garen blinked a few times, more surprised than anything. 

"Nice," Darius said, clearly talking about Garen's visible abs. 

"What the hell are you doing down here?" Garen huffed, pulling the shirt all the way down and covering his midriff. He bent down and snatched the towel off the ground as well. 

"Saw the light on, thought I'd check it out," Darius shrugged.

"Well, you checked it out. Now you can leave," Garen told him, tossing the towel in the basket with the other used towels. 

"I saw you doing stairs earlier... did someone get in trouble?" Darius smirked at him, leaning against the wall now. 

"Fuck off, Darius," Garen growled in response, pulling his bag from his locker and slamming it shut. 

"Quite the mouth on you, huh? Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Darius asked, grinning devilishly. 

"Why are you really here?" Garen questioned him, glaring at him as he slung the backpack over his shoulder. Why wouldn't he just leave? 

"Like I said," Darius started, smirking again. He stopped leaning against the wall and took a step closer. "I saw the light on, and I came to check it out." 

Garen took a step back defensively, eyeing the man. Analyzing the situation, Garen figured he'd have to fight Darius. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Not only could he get some injuries to take him out of playing the rest of the season, but he might also get in big trouble with the college. 

"Can we just not?" Garen asked, sighing loudly.

"Not what, Garen?" Darius asked as he took another step closer.

"Dammit, Darius," Garen grumbled and dropped his backpack off his shoulder. Garen watched the man cautiously, the ocean in his eyes moving back and worth as he waited for Darius to pounce. 

"What? Did I hurt your pride or something earlier?" Garen asked as he stepped even closer. "Your goons waiting outside? I know you only care to do this stuff for attention." 

They were face to face, eye to eye. The man was a little bit taller than Garen, but not by much. It wasn't noticeable unless you really looked for that detail, which Garen was sure the man did. The emeralds in Darius' eyes looked dull in the locker room's poor lighting. 

"Your eyes are pretty," Darius spoke, his voice low, "kinda reminds me of sapphires. Or flowers, hydrangea, maybe." 

"What the hell-" Garen started but was cut off as Darius leaned in and pressed his lips to Garen's. 

Garen was stunned momentarily; his eyes wide, muscles tensed, heart beating against the bars of his ribcage. After the initial spark to his brain, Garen realized the man's lips were so soft that he was worried he might actually melt into them. Garen wanted to push him away, but couldn't really bring himself to do it. Some part of him didn't want their lips to separate. 

One... Two... Three... 

Finally, Garen couldn't rationalize it any longer. He shoved Darius off of him. Hard. 

"What the hell, Darius?!" Garen shouted angrily, breathing hard. 

His heart was still pounding inside his chest, his lips tingling, the taste of Darius still lingering. Garen's eyes were wide open, bewildered and vivid. Garen felt more confused than anything, not even sure he was angry at the man. Darius just took a step back, the smirk returning to his face. 

An awkward silence hung over the locker room. Darius crossed his arms, calm and collected. Garen, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and couldn't be more confused. Neither of them moved for a few moments as Garen tried his best to grasp what just happened. 

"I'll see you around, Garen," Darius said, the smirk never leaving his face even as he turned around and headed up the stairs. 

"Like hell, you will," Garen growled in response, finally able to speak again. 

"Oh, I will," Darius chuckled as he opened the locker room door and shut it behind him.

Garen's jaw dropped now that he was finally alone. He touched his bottom lip, the tingling sensation still dancing along them. He could still taste Darius, even. It felt weird, but to his surprise, he didn't mind it all that much.

Garen stood in silence for a moment, really trying to process what had happened. Was that interaction real? Was this all some kind of fever dream? His heart did not want to stop hammering against his ribs. He grabbed his sweated and yanked it over his head, picking up his backpack and throwing it over his shoulder. He wanted to leave as quickly as he could. 

The cold, spring night air sent a shiver down his spine as he opened the locker room door. He pulled his scarf from his backpack and wrapped it around his neck as he slammed the door behind him. Why on earth would Darius kiss him? And, what's more, why had he enjoyed it so much? It was as though Garen had a permanent blush on his face. He buried his face into the fabric as he walked briskly home, the wind tugging on the scarf around his neck.

**Author's Note:**

> PHEW, i added a LOT of writing to this chapter so i hope you don't mind. but anyway, i hope you enjoyed it and keep your eye out for the next chapter! <3
> 
> p.s. I'm gonna drop my discord server below if anyone is interested in joining. i made this server for my different fics and i sometimes stream on twitch but i use it to hang out with people and give chapter updates and whatnot. so if you're interested in that, join away! everyone in there is SUPER friendly and i love them all ;-; 
> 
> link: https://discord.gg/DjNFUcm


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